KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two reconstruction projects are ongoing simultaneously for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.

To improve last season’s 31st-ranked defense, the Chiefs, under the direction of general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid, felt they needed to switch schemes and modify their personnel. Veach and Reid know the execution of both plans need to work in synchronization. The Chiefs’ new 4-3 base defense must complement the new players who will arrive in Kansas City this spring, and vice versa.

In these situations, even talented players are sometimes removed for the overall benefit of the renovation.

Outside linebacker Dee Ford became the Chiefs’ latest player to not be retained for next season. In a blockbuster trade Tuesday, the Chiefs agreed to send Ford, a five-year veteran, to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick, a source confirmed to The Athletic. The deal can become official as soon as...